My electric bill doesn’t show any taxes.
We should be careful what we wish for. Lots of folks have oil company stocks in their retirement funds, and lots of jobs depend on the industry, and the plastics industry etc. Not to mention the folks in Alaska that get a check every year from oil. Now the advertising industry might be a better target.
We should be careful what we wish for. Lots of folks have oil company stocks in their retirement funds, and lots of jobs depend on the industry, and the plastics industry etc
That’s the SAME argument that many conservatives and the Tobacco lobbyists used to keep any anti-smoking laws from being passed. Gee - -it’ll hurt jobs. So what tens of thousands of people die every year because of smoke related illnesses.
I remember the first law being introduced in NY back in the 60’s. It took over 30 years to finally get it to pass.
That same argument is used to try to pass laws to clean up coal plants. Gee it’ll hurt jobs…so what that it’s one of the most polluting industries. So what that people die every year from toxins that Coal plants produce.
Those Alaskan socialists don’t concern me. Big oil is divested enough to survive changes in the oil market. Surely they are planning for the day the internal combustion engine becomes obsolete.
@insightful, good for you. For those of us who have municipal power and fuel surcharges, local governments tack on additional fees that serve as hidden and not so hidden taxes.
Big oil is divested enough to survive changes in the oil market. Surely they are planning for the day the internal combustion engine becomes obsolete.
You’d hope so…but not so sure.
That same argument is used to try to pass laws to clean up coal plants. Gee it'll hurt jobs...so what that it's one of the most polluting industries. So what that people die every year from toxins that Coal plants produce.
And about as bad as THAT argument, is the corollary argument: “It doesn’t matter HOW much this regulation costs…if it saves JUST ONE life…it’s ‘worth it!’”
Most thinking people would accept that there is a happy medium that would be optimal–and when urban air quality is the cleanest since the Industrial Revolution…and people are still losing their jobs–it becomes patent that all of us “happy mediums” have been drowned out by a “Mouthy Minority!”
And about as bad as THAT argument, is the corollary argument: "It doesn't matter HOW much this regulation costs...if it saves JUST ONE life...it's 'worth it!'"It's also impossible to prove that it actually saved even one life, just like it's impossible to prove that CFC saved the auto industry or to prove whether FDR ended the great depression, or prolonged it.
I don’t disagree with the cost analysis. But when you completely dismiss something like Tobacco regulation because some farmer some where may loose some money…it’s kind of back-word thinking.
Follow the money honey. There was a lot of money made and being made by anti-tobacco advocates in the form of budget allocations, grants, advertising, new careers, and law suits. How many lives were saved is still a debatable question. Although everyone has anecdotal evidence on both sides. Reduce the freeway speed limit to 25 and save lives. The logic is endless and that’s where the money is.
I didn’t “dismiss tobacco regulation.” I don’t think the government should subsidize tobacco farming in any way.
I think–given the health issues–the gov’t has a responsibility to a) inform all citizens of the health dangers, and b) to keep the product out of the hands of minors. I think, even with my personal opinions, I could grudgingly accept smoking taxes…provided the money directly offset medical expenses, and didn’t get appropriated for Sen. Sleaze’s bridge-and-tunnel project.
But when I’m watching TV, and (unannounced) aSAW-movie-worthy anti-tobacco commercial comes on, intending to cajole grown adults into behavior modification…then it has exceeded its appropriate role, is treating its citizenry like children (and totally grossed me out! Really, I was trying to eat!)
What’s next, The Federal Bureau of Eating All of Your Vegetables Before Dessert? Treat adults like adults and allow them to live their own lives!
I didn't "dismiss tobacco regulation." I don't think the government should subsidize tobacco farming in any way.
Tobacco regulations and tobacco subsidizes are two different thing. By tobacco regulation - I meant smoking… (i.e. smoking in public places, selling tobacco products to minors, forcing tobacco companies to put warnings on their cigarettes, eliminating ALL TV and radio tobacco ads).
But when I'm watching TV, and (unannounced) aSAW-movie-worthy anti-tobacco commercial comes on, intending to cajole grown adults into behavior modification...then it has exceeded its appropriate role, is treating its citizenry like children (and totally grossed me out! Really, I was trying to eat!)
I suggest you watch those ads again…they are in no way geared toward adults. They are geared toward teens.
I know of a couple people who took part in C4C/CARS. One traded in some junky old Jeep pickup that sucked gas. The other traded in a beater van that sucked gas. They were up in the air about doing this, then they started to see signs of a failing head gasket or cracked head/block. Since the program required cars still run when traded in, they got right on trading it in and got a Versa.
Now I have seen some situations where nice cars, possibly collectible, or ones that were still in very good shape had the engines blown up. I have also seen some that might not have been horrible but only got 25mpg. I wish they did a used car C4C where you could trade a real guzzler used car in for one that got better mileage. So you have a 15 MPG car you could trade in for a 25MPG car that had been traded in by someone else.
I also saw some good vehicles that could have been used by commercial or government users get destroyed. One was a Ford Expedition. One guy commented that his rural fire dept. vehicle was acting up and they needed a new one. Seeing that perfectly good Expedition get destroyed really angered him as it would have been the perfect rural fire vehicle for him.